The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-16
sonrB xsw Booxx
ras.,stsr wa.Asurre's Reeei.stier-.

4 sonrB NEW Bo0KS
rrs.sstsr vyesApurne's Reeeii.etsens.
Il II plain that any man of average educa-
tion and intelligence who remained in Paris
during its two sieges, by the Germans and BY
the versafllists, must have enjoyed envfablo
opportunities OF witnessing some OF tho most
memorable events OF the century. Obviously.
eiso, the advantages OF such position would
be signaily increased II the observer happened
10 DO the diplomatic representative OF Grent
neutral power. whose friendship during tho
period OF conflict both Of tho combatants wore
equnlly oaker to preserve, That MI. X. ID.
Washburne. who had tbs tood fortune to hold
such a coign OF vantage. made the most Of 1t
sannot truthfully DO said. 1t will BIO disputed
By no render OF his book that he was not
qualified to do no by antccedent equipment or
subsequent acauiremont, whether as linguist,
q student Of history and social problems, or an
acute interpreter OF character and motive fet
No should err "a much In the opposite direc-
tion II we denied any value. from tho view
point Of the future expounder OF two momen-
tous crisos In the evolution Of the French ma
tion. to the Recollecions Of Minister TO France.
BY T. B. WAsHpuRNE, two volumes (ScribnersL
e In true that. as we mark the lame transla-
tions Of interesting documents. the frequent
failure to discern the purport Of the incidents
rocounted. and tho always commonplace and
often clumsy diotion. we are reminded OF an
anecdote. perhaps apocryphal. but which ct all
events was current ct the time when the au-
thor's nomination to the post no was to I'LL for
some eight years was sent In to the Senate.
We have not seldom" 90 Senator 10 said to
have remarked, " sent Ministers to France who
a. t,.A t,.~-. lilo
tried to send mon who could manage to speak
and write English"
80 far In fact, rs these two capacious vol
umes consist Of the authors comments on tho
events and persons delineated. they will prove,
we apprehend. of very slight utility to we'll
informed and intelligent readers. Not on that
account, however, can their claim to figure as
historical documents be wholly disallowed.
When the American Minister reports what he
actually saw and heard, his testimony can un-
doubtedly DO accepted, though. on the other
hand, his assertions. based on hearsay. are so
often incorrect that they can nevor be admitted
without verihcation. With apparent uncon-
sciousness he repeatedly makes himself the
Of the prejudices and antipathies
OF o particular caste, and sometimes Of o mar
row social circle. This inability to look at
things with the eye, we will not say Of q phil
losopher, but even Of an unbiased and demo-
cratic foreigner, Is the more misleading, be-
cause tho authors origin and early training
and experience might be supposed to offer
guarantees Of thorough sympathy with what
IN some countries are called the common peo-
pie. II there are any traces Of such sympathy
In Mr.. Washburne's account Of the originally
well-meant though ultimately ill-starred and
tll-famed uprtsing Of nine-tenths Of the Paris
L.. h>kH 80 lntr uI ale
nent, and in protest against the usurpations
Of 8 monarchist Assembly elected for the pur-
pose Of peace making, not OF constitution MIX
ing, we have been unable to detect them.
Nevertheless, while unable to set much store
By tho authors critical and elucidatory re-
marks. We would not withhold Q frank acknowl-
edgment Of indebtedness to him, not only for
what he Is qualified to tell us as an eye and car
witness, but fol. the mass Of private lettors and
printed documents which he has preserved
and presented in these volumes. Many Of
these letters iare exhibited In fac simile, and
the printed matter reproduced includes ex-
tracts from newspapers ephemeral, and per-
haps nowhere else accessible. yet full OF in
struction ss illustrative of certain phases Of
opinion at various stages OF the first or second
9lege. It is, in fine. as q repository Of mate
Halls which. although not thoroughly digested
and classified. are at least authentic. that this
book possesses permanent value for the inves-
tisator Of tho history of Paris during the mo-
mentous years 1870-71 In such extracts as
wo purpose to lay before the reader We shall
conflne ourselves 10 the testimony Of Mr..
Wasaburne's eyes and ears. and to the docu-
evidence which supplements his per-
eonal experience.
Mr.. washburne's relation to those Germans
Exclusive Of the subjects Of Bavaria, Wurtem-
berg. and Baden). who remained in France after
the declaration Of war. gave rise to some cor
printed In the first volume) with
the Duo de Grammont at the time Minister
of Foreign Affairs. The American Minister
failed to convince the French Government that
German denizens within the limits Of military
ago had under International law any right to
return to their native country. The Duke was
not greatly impressed by an alusion to Kent's
apparently the only text book
eited at first hand by Mr.. Washburne. but in
tho teeth OF that respectable authority decided
that only Germans over forty years of age
could be suffered to leave France. It is true
that after the French defeats and the immi-
nence of tho capitals investment BY the enemy,
the interests Of France dictated the opposite
policy. and all Germans were summarily ex-
PEELED BY Government decree. There were
Ro0OfQlnR 10 ono oStlmAto some forty tnOuBanQ
Germans In Paris, and before the middle Of
August thousands Of them were daily besieging
the American legation for passports. From
the authors account Of the various incidents
arising from his diplomatic connection with
tho Germans. It is tolerably clear that from the
outset his sympathies were with the victorious
and that as the war went on uc uictis
was his dominant sentiment
Mr.. Washburne was present at the last
session OF the Bonapartist Corps
LeGislatif, when 1t was invaded by the people
and adjourned amid shouts for the deposition
Of the Napoleonic dynasty. He tells US that
Jules Favre tried to obtain the popular assent
10 compromise with the imperialists and .
Of the deposition. He also says
that Gambetta endesvored. although vainly. to
restore order SO that tho downfall OF the en-
pire might be accomplished In legal way.
We learn. too. that he saw Rochefort drawn In
. cab By roaring multitude to the Hotel de
vile. It seems that the agitator was CHASTITY
pale" Mr.. Washburne heard Gambetta pro-
Slain the republic from Q window Of the
tSv.tc pal nd viii IN IN ha